


An Apology

by wandering_soul_with_a_writing_goal



Series: Ficlets [5]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: ?? - Freeform, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, El is a good sister, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Tumblr Prompt, Will Byers Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25618012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wandering_soul_with_a_writing_goal/pseuds/wandering_soul_with_a_writing_goal
Summary: Everything has changed. But when Will gets a letter from Mike, he wonders if change can be a good thing.Part 2 of "A Realization" :)
Relationships: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Series: Ficlets [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1824505
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	An Apology

**Author's Note:**

> It's the squeakquel  
> Requested by im-not-a-joke on tumblr: Mike, post big gay realization, confesses his feelings for a certain best friend of his (in letter form)  
> Thanks for 100 (+33) followers on tumblr! I'm strangerthingsiscool, talk to me there!

Everything had changed.

And no, that was not an exaggeration.

For starters, they had moved away from Will’s childhood home. Over a hundred miles away from it. How was a complete change of scene supposed to make things easier?

Not only that, but Will was now over a hundred miles from all of his friends, which meant he didn’t have much to look forward to. He and El weren’t quite friends yet. Jonathan was always there for Will, but now he had to work all the time. And his mother? As much as he loved her, there were some things that Will wasn’t comfortable talking about with her.

It had been two weeks or so since everything changed, and all Will craved was to talk to one of his friends at home. Well, to talk to  _ Mike _ specifically, but he’d give anything to hear Lucas or Dustin’s voice as well.

Will couldn’t help but feel frustrated that none of them had called yet.

He remembered a time when Mike would set aside anything just to talk to Will over their walkies. They could talk for hours, about the most random things. Will always felt at ease when they talked.

Except they stopped doing that once Mike got together with El.

Will left his room, needing a distraction from all of… everything.

“Will.” El appeared, holding an envelope. “This is for you.”

_ Who would write to me? _ Will hoped that it was one of his friends. That seemed like the only option, right?

“Thanks, El.” He grabbed the envelope and went back into his room, tearing the letter open.

The handwriting was Mike’s.  _ Mike. _

_ Will, _

_ This is my seventh time writing this letter. Hopefully the last. Usually I can write easily, but I guess nothing is easy anymore. _

_ I’m so sorry, Will. For everything. I’m sorry for ignoring you, and being an asshole. I’m not going to make excuses for that. I really regret pushing you away this summer. Especially now that I can’t make up for it. If I could, I’d come to your house every day. You’d probably get sick of me, but things would be fixed. _

_ More than anything else, I’m sorry for forgetting our promise. Crazy together, right? Wow, I really broke that one. _

_ I didn’t forget. I was just scared. _

_ In a way I guess I’m going crazy. In a different way. I’m not exactly hallucinating, but I just figured out a few things about myself. Things that make me want to go back in time. _

_ I think I’m in love with you. _

_ Okay, there. I said it. I understand if you think I’m weird or gross, or if you never want to be my friend again. I’m sorry. _

_ But maybe we can fix things. I know you’ll never feel that way, but could we be friends? _

_ Call me on Cerebro when you get this. Please. _

_ Love, _

_ Mike _

Will’s jaw dropped in shock.

_ What? _

Confusion, elation, fear that it was all a big joke, and unrelenting amounts of shock overtook him. It didn’t make any  _ sense _ . The whole reason Mike was an asshole last summer was because he was  _ in love with El. _ That was just a fact of nature. How could he… 

How could he be in love with Will?

He reread the note two more times, searching for answers. But Will realized, there was only one real way to get the answers he wanted.

Talking to Mike.

_ No. _

Regret and fear and anxiety and  _ pain _ . Will honestly just wanted to forget about Mike and never talk to him again. It would be easier.

But this was a  _ chance _ . A chance to be friends again… or maybe something more.

And Will was going to take it.

* * *

“Hey, Mike? This is Will, do you copy?” Will had been trying every few minutes for the past hour, and was starting to give up hope.

Crackle. “Will?” Mike’s voice was… excited? Scared? It was hard to tell.

Will took a shaky breath before replying. “Yeah. It’s me. I… got your note.”

“Oh.” Mike seemed to deflate. (Will could tell from the sound of his voice. It happens when you’re in love with someone for five years.)

A heavy silence hung over both of them, and neither seemed to want to break it. Will’s chest tightened in anticipation. He wanted to hold onto the silence-- it was safe. But at the same time, he needed to get answers.

“I meant what I wrote.”

Will relaxed. Excitement screamed in his brain.  _ Mike is in love with me! He says so himself! _

But he still needed answers.

Will spoke slowly. “You meant it?  _ All _ of it?”

“Yes!” Mike answered quickly.

_ Do I believe him? What if he sent the wrong letter? What if he forgot what he wrote? What if he changed his mind? What if he’s lying? _

“Mike, I really want to believe you…”

“I promise I’m being serious. Will… I love you. And I’m so sorry.”

_ Oh my god. He loves me. _ Butterflies in Will’s stomach, warmth on his face.  _ He loves me. _

But he could mean it platonically.

_ No. The note said “I’m in love with you.” Well, it said “I  _ think _ I’m in love with you”. _

So much panic and fear filled Will. Because if, after five years of being in love with Mike and countless heartbreaks… If this was a lie, Will didn’t know how he’d survive it.  _ Don’t be hopeful _ was his motto. But he was really,  _ really  _ hopeful.

“I’m in love with you!” Will blurted out. An unexpected wave of relief washed over him. Five years of pining in silence, and he finally was able to tell him.

“Really?”

“Yeah… I mean…”

“Me too.”

_ Oh my god oh my god oh my god _

Will felt his face stretch into a smile, and for once he didn’t attempt to control it. He didn’t have to hid this away anymore. Mike liked him back. Mike  _ loved _ him back. It felt so right and real, but also absolutely insane.

The conversation fell into a comfortable quiet, as Will decided what to say.

“So… are you and El broken up now?”

Mike sighed. “No. I mean, yes. I  _ thought _ so. But I don’t know if El knows that.”

“Oh.” More quiet. Then, Will heard a small noise from outside of his room. “Just a moment.” He went to the door and opened it to see El running down the hallway.

“How much of that did you hear?” he called to her.

“Most of it!” she yelled back with no remorse, before disappearing into her bedroom.

Will returned to the radio. “Sorry about that. I think we might have fixed your El problem.”

Mike groaned. “Did she…?"

“Yep.”

Mike started complaining and all Will could do was laugh. Because things were as normal as they could be right now.

And as they continued their conversation for three more hours, just like old times, Will decided that normal was good enough for him.


End file.
